Hymns of Praise

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music… I sing for joy …God is my Rock"

Psalm 92:1 (NIV)

Last weekend, I travelled the three hundred and forty mile round trip, from Bournemouth to Birmingham to witness a rare event. One of Jamaica’s premier reggae artistes was performing at the Drum -‘Europe's first arts centre dedicated to developing and promoting African, Asian and Caribbean arts and culture’. I was determined not to miss the brilliance of Barrington Levy also-known-as the "Mellow Canary" as his music touched a spiritual chord in my heart.

Whilst I was in the Caribbean, I was employed within the public sector as a youth and community development researcher/planner. As a consequence I spent time in the ‘ghettoes’ talking and planning with the residents on a variety of projects and programmes. These ranged from income generating activities for women, maternal and child health, water & sanitation and street children projects. They were funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF, the World Bank, US AID and the Inter-American Development Bank. As part of the planning process, UNICEF funded a study tour to Brazil to see the various youth and community development programmes and in particular, the street children’s projects in the "slums"– the favelas. It was awesome! A truly humbling experience at being able to witness the courage, resourcefulness and steadfast faith of the very poor. In Jamaica we say "betta mus come" - if I had any language skills for spanish-portuguese, I would have been quite content to spend the rest of my life, working towards that ‘betterment’ in the cities of Belem and Recife, on the Brazilian coastline.

That would have been a good use of my life. And it is that sense of longing, of regretting maybe, of wanting to work for justice, that I associate with Barrington Levy. It was his rendition of "Vice Versa Love" as the backcloth to the credits of a film about Brazil’s street children that touched my heart. The film, Boca, was shot on location in Rio de Janeiro, in 1994. Its theme centres on an investigative journalist who is trying to find out why thousands of homeless street children are disappearing and many found murdered.

In the song he sings about how we are divided from each other and in particular he identifies the "hopeless souls and ragamuffin soldiers" and asks that the hungry be fed. But he begins his refrain with a request to Jah/God for a helping hand. Every time I hear it, I am reminded of the need, never to be lost, of that profound sense of injustice at the inequalities that exist within our polarised world; of those wallowing in excess and those dying in squalor. Nor to imagine that justice is inseparable from the helping hand of God. But always to see the love of God as being about God’s sense of justice for the oppressed; the poor and the powerless.

I also see in Levy’s artistry, the joy of God! Many of his songs are contemporary Hymns of Praise. His "conscious lyrics" echo our relationship with God and attending his concert was akin to being in Church. I praised God, I ‘jumped and waved’ - he "called" and we "responded". We knew the songs, we knew the words. We were a community at prayer. And the inclusion of Marley’s "Get Up Stand Up" (for your Rights) served as a rallying cry – to action and an awareness of a sense of our own potential empowerment as a community. I see "Vice Versa Love" as a lyrical rendition of "love your neighbour as yourself". Our prophets are not just within the Bible; neither are they all dead. Nor are our songs confined to traditional hymns and chorus books. Sometimes we have to find our own melodies that harmonise with our music and our hearts; that express our experiences and help us to move onwards and upwards.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; God turned to me and heard my cry. God lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; God set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. God put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." - Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV inclusified)

Do you need to update your hymnal or chorus book?

May your songs empower you through the Holy Spirit of God.

Blessings!

Postscript.

Following on from last week’s Posting, this extract from Monday’s Jamaica Daily Gleaner may be of interest.

‘DISMISSING THE European Union's (EU) conduct as 'arrogant', executive chairman of the Sugar Industry Authority, Ambassador Derrick Heaven, yesterday urged cane farmers to attend Thursday's protest march on EU member countries diplomatic missions…The action is being taken against the EU's abandonment of the Sugar Protocol agreement and decision to cut by 39 per cent, prices paid to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) sugar producers…Prime Minister P.J. Patterson last week met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London. Prior to the meeting Mr. Patterson wrote to Mr. Blair outlining his concerns over the EU's decision, which is to be announced on June 22 with the cuts made over the two years to 2008/9. "The conduct of the European Union has been arrogant in that they have made no attempt to engage in any form of discussion," said Mr. Heaven. While they talk about development on one side of their mouth, in reality they are showing little consideration for our economy... "The Europeans have reneged on the Sugar Protocol and we need to highlight this ... Also people locally need to understand that as an industry we are not begging but we are seeking to defend our rights, as stated in the Sugar Protocol." Signed in 1975 the agreement guaranteed price and quantity of sugar exports for an indefinite period from ACP counties to the EU.’

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